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Issillia
Issillia Land of the Unwithering Elm Leader: King Issinir Azurbranth Capital: Issil Banner: Stylish elm tree on horizontally divided dark green and dark blue background. Issillia, Land of the Unwithering Elm, lies in eastern Korthas, south of Whelyr and northeast of Brezzenta, and has two coasts. Its southern coast is known as Sibilune’s Coast, and its eastern coast is known as the Rugged Coast and it runs along the Rugged Reef Strait, which separates the continents of Korthas and Amarath. Issillia is a nation of ancient roots, both figuratively and literally. Much of the nation is covered by the canopy of the Greenshade, or Talashar as the vylaan and aratheël call it, an immense forest with trees that are millennia old. It’s canopy has given shade to both the great vylaan (originally aratheël) nation of Vyl Talashar and the great human empire of Iltaan. Under the forest’s massive boughs lies the remnants of these civilizations. The city of Vyl Talashar still stands at the center of the forest, built around the massive Tangalorn tree, which is said to be the mother of all trees, the sole progenitor of all of the trees in the Greenshade, but the great nation of aratheël that Vyl Talashar once was before the Frost Age, is only evident in the many overgrown elven ruins in the forest. The Issillian Reach is said to be the cradle of human civilization, as this is where the center of the ancient Iltaan Empire, the city of Issil, was built and later lost. The name Issillia is an homage to that city. The whole country is littered with the ruins of old Iltaan, some still hiding great treasure, but many of them are home to the undead or other foul monsters, making the task of recovering lost iltaani treasure a perilous one indeed. Many opportunistic issillian treasure hunters have lost their life in ancient iltaani dungeons. The unforested areas of Issillia are pleasant realms of rolling hills, green fields and gentle creeks, patrolled by Iron Dragon legionnaires and Shining Sword paladins. There is not long to travel between the frequent taverns and watermills on the country roads, and ancient aratheël and iltaani ruins and huge, time-worn statues dot the landscape. Issillia is racially mixed, although it is predominantly a human nation. Issillia has always had a large population of vylaan, as the homeland of the vylaan is the Greenshade Forest. The vylaan of Vyl Talashar in the Greenshade have their own king, but they have always been on friendly terms with the humans of Issillia. Issillia’s current king, the aasimar Issinir Azurbranth, rules from the city of Issil. Issinir earned the crown when he defeated the demon lord Grothalgrar who attacked Issillia in the rather recent Demongate War, a terrible war which laid waste to many towns and decimated the population. Issillia has become much more unsafe than it used to be since the Demongate War. When Grothalgrar was defeated, his army retreated into the Greenshade to a place in the southwestern part of the forest which has become known as the Blighted Vale, a festering wound in the forest, where the trees have become twisted and withered, the animals have become corrupted and the whole place is teeming with demons and other aberrations. Kalambyr Keep stands in the center of the Blighted Vale, and in its dungeon the Demongate still allows passage from the lower planes to Myrndur. Vylaan and bhakiri are doing what they can to contain the foul demons in the Blighted Vale, but each day there seems to be more of them, and more and more find ways out of the Blighted Vale and into the surrounding land. Issillians are doing what they can to help the vylaan of Vyl Talashar combat the demon threat, and many factions have dedicated themselves to rid the land of the evil. Especially the Green Glaives, a paladin order dedicated to Gaundalur and based in Issil, are doing much to combat the demons of the Blighted Vale, but also the Order of the Shining Swords, an order of paladins dedicated to Auluras Amathane, and soldiers of the Iron Dragon Legion are fighting creatures from hell in the southern depths of the Greenshade. The demons of the Blighted Vale are not the only thing that threatens Issillia however. Werewolves, barghests, trolls, goblins and other foul creatures are on the rise in the wilderness of Issillia, and the Iron Dragon Legion is stretched thin. =History of Issillia= Issillia has a history dating back thousands of years. Before the Frost Age, the amarathi elves built the great city of Vyl Talashar in the middle of the Talashar forest at the root of the great Tangalorn tree, using urak slave labor. In the High Age of Amarath Vyl Talashar was a symbol of aratheël greatness and ingenuity, and it was the bastion from where the elves fought the uraks of Gor Marak. In the Age of Frost when most aratheël migrated south, the people of Vyl Talashar were sheltered from the dramatic climate change by the Tangalorn. The sap of the tree made them resistant to the cold but it also changed them into something else. They became the vylaan, or green folk as they are more commonly known because of the green tone of their skin, infused with the energy of the tree and connected to it on a spiritual level. In the Age of Thawing, humans began to appear and after about three thousand years as scattered primitive tribes a large number of human tribes gathered in Issillia and founded the nation of Iltaan, which would become a great empire. After two thousand years of greatness, the Iltaan Empire was conquered by dragons and draconians as Myrndur entered the Drakennath, a period of about 500 years of tyrannical dragon rule. In the Age of Restoration, following the Great Rebellion, humans began to rebuild. The nation of Issillia was founded, its name an homage to the great city of Issil which was destroyed by the dragons. In 983 DE, 264 years ago, Sarvorath, the Black Skull, Lord of Murder, stole the Book of the Dead from Haladrune, the god of death, and entered Myrndur. He used the Book of the Dead to raise a massive army of undead, bolstered by all kinds of evil creatures and conquered most of Korthas. He ruled Korthas from the Throne of Skulls in his fortress Ocrulthuum for a little more than a hundred years, before an alliance of the goodly races lead by the issillian aratheël hero Auluras Amathane defeated him. Auluras ascended to godhood and he became the primary god of Issillia. In Issillia, the years are counted since Auluras' Ascension 1138 years ago. The Demongate War In the year 1118'' Auluras’ Ascension, twenty years ago, the Cult of the Horned Ravager, managed to open a dimensional gate to Grothalgrar’s realm in the outer planes, from an old iltaan ruin called Kalambyr Keep in the Ilsuri vale in the Greenshade. Grothalgrar came through followed by a throng of demons and soon they attacked. Issillia was ill-prepared for such an event, and the demons devastated many towns and almost decimated the population, before they reached Issil. King Galdarif Cale was killed and all seemed lost, demons pouring into the city, following the grotesque behemoth that was Grothalgrar. Then the Aasimar Issinir Azurbranth who had made an alliance with the urak warchief Atulak Blackaxe attacked the demons from behind with a large army of men, vylaan, aratheël, dhouvarr and uraks. Issinir Azurbranth and Atulak Blackaxe managed to slay Grothalgrar and drive back the demon horde, thus ending the war, but the demons of Grothalgrar’s army are still in Myrndur. They retreated into the Ilsuri vale in the Greenshade from where they came, the vale which has become known as the Blighted Vale. Issillia is still rebuilding from the devastating war. =Life and society= Issillia has always been a nation of mixed heritage. It is home to all manner of sentient humanoids. The Greenshade is the ancient home of the vylaan elves, and bhakiri has been drawn to the forest by the Dru’uth, which has called to them in pain because of the blight. Mostly humans, aratheël and krimir live outside of the great forest. Some uraks have also settled in Issillia, after they helped the nation defeat Grothalgrar. They have been allowed to built the town of Blackaxe in northwestern Issillia, sworn to fight hostile uraks from Gor Marak. Life in Issillia is harsh. Much was lost in the Demongate War and demons continue to plague the land. But the issillians are resilient and things seem to move in the right direction. Religions and traditions The primary god of Issillia is Auluras Amathane, the Dawnbringer, the aratheël warrior who rose to divinity when he defeated Sarvorath and ended the Age of Darkness. Auluras was an issillian aratheël and the people of Issillia are very proud of that fact. The Dawnbringer’s Cathedral in Issil is the main temple of Auluras Amathane in the realms of Myrndur and it is the main base of the Shining Swords, the paladins of the Dawnbringer. Each year, the Dawnbringer’s Ascension is celebrated in the great cathedral. Devoted aulurasans make pilgrimage to the Dawnbringer’s Cathedral as Auluras Amathane lies buried beneath it. Another god with a large following in Issillia is Gaundalur, the Forest Father, and this goes all the way back to the time of the Iltaan Empire. Each year at the Festival of Gaundalur in Issil, the vylaan visit Issil in a large group, wearing masks of carved wood. The vylaan, as part of an ancient agreement with the humans of Issillia, tend the Unwithering Elm, which stands in Issillia’s capital, anointing it with the Tangalorn sap extract when they perform the Greenkeeping Ritual. This preserves the tree, keeping it young and green regardless of the weather or amount of rainfall. Devoted gaundalurans make pilgrimage to the Tangalorn tree in Vyl Talashar, which is said to be sacred to Gaundalur. Sibilune, the Moonmaiden, also have a large following in Issillia, also going back to the Iltaan Empire. It is said that Sibilune fell in love with the iltaani King Telmeth. When Telmeth died it is said that Sibilune’s tears formed the river which is now called Sibilune’s Tears. Other gods with followings in Issillia are Abalor, Amyrla, Baladorn Baleras, Chandalla and Myrdin Many-Colors. Law and order Overall, issillians are pretty lawful. The Demongate War really bound people together, and their shared patriotism and veneration of Issinir Azurbranth keeps them on a lawful path. They have shown great dedication in rebuilding the nation and most condemn criminal activity. Order is kept by the guards of the towns, the soldiers of the Iron Dragon Legion and by the Order of the Shining Swords, the paladin order of Auluras Amathane, which is pretty widespread in Issillia. Adventurers in Issillia Issillia is a land calling for adventurers, and many different types of adventurers can be found in the nation. Paladins, treasure hunters, monster slayers and mages band together in adventuring parties and set out from Issillia’s towns on perilous quests, some never to return. Magic Level Magic is by no means considered as mundane in Issillia, but it is neither particularly rare. The Greenshade is dense with Myst. The trees of the great forest seem to draw it to them, especially the great Tangalorn tree. Many vylaan practice druidic magic. Magic-users in Issillia are typically members of the Issillian Mages' Guild, as unsanctioned use of magic is illegal. Names and language in Issillia In the Age of Restoration many aratheël settled in Issillia, and much of issillian language and many issillian names have an aratheël feel. '''Male names: '''Ranath, Aldrian, Melethir, Faldath, Jereth, Tylerion, Cormoth, Valathan, Irion, Maleth. '''Female names: '''Valira, Jeanna, Idrala, Nalia, Dhala, Milera, Tyara, Liara, Jeneth, Ambra. '''Surnames:' Doranis, Amorath, Mirathar, Dalamath, Malathan, Corovis, Galbranth, Ilamath, Drulath, Caldovan. = = =Organizations in Issillia= Sibilune’s Daughters Sibilune’s Daughters is the church of Sibilune in Issilllia. They are lead by Alythra Caldara who is Issillia’s high priestess of the Moonmaiden. Alythra is a kind and considerate aratheël woman with long braided white hair and a black and silver dress. The sibilunites are considered the healers of Issillia, and Silvergleam Keep in Issil functions as the nation’s largest hospital. The Green Glaives The Green Glaives is a paladin order devoted to Gaundalur the Forest Father. Jhanavyr Chalavath is the high priestess of Gaundalur the Forest Father in Issil and she commands the Green Glaives. Jhanavyr is a vylaan and she is also the ambassador of Vyl Talashar. The priests of Gaundalur wear green robes and they are responsible for tending to the city’s trees and parks. The Green Glaives The temple of Gaundalur in Issil is called the Great Greenhouse, and it is literally a great greenhouse. When you enter the Great Greenhouse, it is like stepping into a small forest. The Iron Dragon Legion The Iron Dragon Legion is Issillia’s main army. The Iron Dragons patrol mostly in eastern Issillia, and there alone they are stretched thin. Knight-Commander Rhildym Barldreth is the leader of the Iron Dragon Legion. A battle-hardened veteran of the Demongate War, the half-elf Rhildym has thick dark steel grey hair and beard, a golden eye patch covers his right eye and he wears a mithril full plate and a thick black cloak. The Issillian Mages’ Guild The Issillian Mages’ Guild operates in all of Issillia and have a guildhouse in every major town. The guild’s leader is named Aldramath Whitestaff, and he resides in the Whitestaff Tower in Issil’s Thaldon District. The Shining Swords The Order of the Shining Swords is a group of clerics, paladins and fighters devoted to Auluras Amathane and dedicated to fight evil in whatever form it takes, wherever it is found. Currently the order is busy fighting the demons that pour out from the Blighted Vale in the Greenshade forest, a task which has proven incredibly difficult. The Order of the Shining Swords is lead by Grandmaster Gerim Algara, the paladin who brought up Issinir Azurbranth, the king of Issillia. The Silhouettes The Silhouettes is the thieves guild of Issillia. Their headquarters lies somewhere in Issil and they are lead by a woman called Lady Nightingale. The Silhouettes operate all over Issillia and they deal in thievery, burglary, extortion, smuggling, and selling drug and stolen goods. Geographical features Issillia lies in eastern Korthas and its most dominant geographical feature is the immense Greenshade Forest covering two thirds of the country. Greenshade Forest: ''The Greenshade Forest, also known as the Talashar Forest, is the massive forest that covers eastern Issillia. It is an ancient forest, ancestral home of the vylaan, a race of green-skinned wood-dwellers. ''Glimmering Falls: The Glimmering Falls is a waterfall in the Greenshade Forest. An ancient statue of a robed elf stands beneath the fall and points in the direction of Vyl Talashar. Glimmering River: ''The Glimmering River flows from the Glimmering Falls all the way to the city of Issil where it flows into Sibilune's Sea The easiest way from Issil to Vyl Talashar is to follow the river to Glimmering Falls and then travel in the direction that the statue of Glimmering Falls is pointing. ''Ilsuri Vale: The Ilsur River runs through the Ilsuri Vale in the Greenshade Forest, a vale with many ancient ruins. The Ilsuri Vale has become known as the Blighted Vale, as the forest in the vale has become twisted and sick because of the gate to the lower planes in Kalambyr Keep. Issilath Mountains: The mountains east of the Grenshade forest are known as the Issilath Mountains or the Green Mountains. The stone of the Issilath Mountains is dark green and is used widely across Issillia. There's also gold in the Issilath Mountains and the mines of Talichavnos on the eastern side of the mountains have been supplying gold for Issil for generations. Iragul River: ''The Iragul River runs north from the Issilath Mountains to the city of Iragul, where it flows into the Rugged Reef Strait. ''Lake of Tears: The Lake of Tears is a great lake in northern Issillia below the Telmeth Mountains. ''Sibilune’s Tears: ''Sibilune’s Tears is a river which flows from The Lake of Tears in northwestern Issillia to the city of Beskil, where it flows into Beskil Bay. ''Telmeth Mountains: ''The Telmeth Mountains is Issillia's northern border and separates Issillia from Whelyr.